HDPE Pipe coils

[ameyamehendale]

I was told by a fellow member to post the following question in this forum. Hope you guys can help me out. Thanks!

As a part of designing a water distribution system in Uganda, my university's chapter of Engineers Without Borders requires to analyze the safety concerns regarding the pipe coils and related handling. The data I got off the internet was too generic, and if the group community can be specific, it would be greatly appreciated.
The question is about uncoiling the HDPE pipes (length 100 m, outer diameters variable ranging from 25 mm to 90 mm, PE-100 raw material and pressure rating of PN-16). Do industry wound pipe coils pose a threat to the person trying to uncoil it by exerting large forces? If yes, is manual uncoiling possible at all? Also, if not, does HDPE resist uncoiling, in which case force would be required to uncoil it? Because of the financial constraints, most of the labor work would be manual with minimal tools. Any other suggestions regarding the same would be valuable also.
Thank you!

 

[MikeHalloran]

I've only worked with PE sprinkler pipe up to 2", with a fairly thin wall.
It doesn't represent a hazard, but it likes to stay coiled.
I could handle it without help by uncoiling it directly into the trench and burying it as I went along. ... which was much easier if the coil was allowed to bake in the sun for a while before working it. ... our subtropical heat also made it easier to insert barbed fittings.

In your case, with abundant sunlight and many hands, I wouldn't anticipate a problem, but I am occasionally wrong.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[ameyamehendale]

That was helpful, thank you. The pipes we'd be using would have a thickness of a maximum of 8 mm, which is not too thick either. My concern is for pipes greater than 2" diameter (up to 3.5"). I am hoping it would not change drastically.

 

[zdas04]

It doesn't change at all. Uncoiling pipe under a load (i.e., with mechanical equipment, and the pipe in significant compression or tension) can introduce localized stresses that can increase risk, but manual uncoiling is a very benign activity.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[tojojoseph]

This is the problem I had face when my company delivered to site 5000 Mts of coiled pipe hdpe pe 100 , pn16 ,sdr 11 initially I was just distraught had it cut in small lengths but had problem welding the ends were not coming straight .
Finally I had it pulled using truck in an open ground and used that vehicle to pull 0it finally to the pipe trench and could finish the work real quick.

Tojo Joseph / Kuwait

 

[stanier]

http://www.hydrogold.com.au/jgp/pdf/lib.vinidex.pe_pipe.pdf

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
---B.B. King

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/

 

[ameyamehendale]

Thank you all. We decided to safely go ahead with assuming that the episodes would not cause too much trouble uncoiling as also would not be a threat to life. Does anybody here have knowledge pertaining to the costs of pipe casing spacings, particularly a comparison between clustered vs regular.

 

[MikeHalloran]

The jury is still out on what pipe separator spacings will cost BP. ;-)


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA